ICYMI, former Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy's daughter, wrote a damning letter to Senators (which she read on her son's Instagram yesterday) on the eve of today's confirmation hearing for her uncle, Robert F. "Brainworm" Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy pulls no punches in the letter, referring to her cousin as a predator, cheat, and hypocrite -- he vaccinated his own children -- who's "addicted to attention and power" (hmm, sounds like a perfect fit for a Malignant Loser cabinet!):
Dear Senators Crapo, Wyden, Cassidy and Sanders:
Throughout the past year, people have asked for my thoughts about my cousin, Robert Kennedy, Jr. and his presidential campaign.
I did not comment, not only because I was serving in a government
position as United States Ambassador to Australia, but because I have
never wanted to speak publicly about my family members and their
challenges. We are a close generation of 28 cousins who have been
through a lot together. We know how hard it has been, and we are always
there for each other.
But now that bobby has been nominated by President Trump to be
Secretary of Health and Human Services, a position that would put him in
charge of the health of the American people, I feel an obligation to
speak out.
Overseeing the FDA, the NIH, the CDC, and the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services — agencies that are charged with protecting the
most vulnerable among us — is an enormous responsibility, and one that
Bobby is unqualified to fill. He lacks any relevant government,
financial, management, or medical experience. His views on vaccines are
dangerous and willfully misinformed. These facts alone should be
disqualifying. But he has personal qualities related to this position
which, for me, post even greater concern.
I have known Bobby my whole life; we grew up together. It’s no
surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a
predator. He has always been charismatic — able to attract others
through the strength of his personality, willingness to take risks and
break the rules. I watched his younger brothers and cousins follow him
down the path of drug addiction. His basement, his garage, and his dorm
room were the centers of the action where drugs were available, and he
enjoyed showing off how he put baby chickens and mice in the blender to
feed his hawks. It was often a perverse scene of despair and violence.
Of course, people can grow and change. Through his own strength — and
the many second chances he was given by people who felt sorry for the
boy who had lost his father — Bobby was able to pull himself out of
illness and disease. I admire the discipline that took and the
continuing commitment it requires.
But siblings and cousins who Bobby encouraged down the path of
substance abused suffered addiction, illness, and death while Bobby has
gone to to misrepresent, lie, and cheat his way through life. Today,
while he may encourage a younger generation to attend AA meetings, Bobby
is addicted to attention and power. Bobby preys on the desperation of
parents and sick children — vaccinating his own children while building a
following by hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating
theirs. Even before he fills this job, his constant denigration of our
health care system and the conspiratorial half-truths he has told about
vaccines, including in connection with Samoa’s deadly 2019 measles
outbreak, have cost lives.
And now we know that Bobby’s crusade against vaccination has
benefited him in other ways, too. His ethics report makes clear that he
will keep his financial stake in a lawsuit against an HPV
vaccine. In other words, he is willing to enrich himself by denying
access to a vaccine that can prevent almost all forms of cervical cancer
and which has been safely administered to millions of boys and girls.
During my time in Australia working on the QUAD Cancer Moonshot, I
learned that cervical cancer is among the top three forms of cancer
among women in a majority of countries. Tragically every year, more than
200,000 children lose their mothers, orphaned due to a lack of vaccines
and screening. These are the real-world consequences of Bobby’s
irresponsible beliefs.
We are a close family and none of this is easy to say. It also wasn’t
easy to remain silent last year when Bobby expropriated my father’s
image and distorted President Kennedy’s legacy to advance his own failed
presidential campaign — and then groveled to Donald Trump for a job.
Bobby continues to grandstand off my father’s assassination, and that of
his own father. It is incomprehensible that someone who is willing to
exploit their own painful family tragedies for publicity would be in
charge of American life-and-death situations.
Unlike Bobby, I try not to speak for my father — but I am certain
that he and my Uncle Bobby, who gave their lives in public service, and
my Uncle Teddy, who devoted his Senate career to improving health care,
would be disgusted.
The American health care system, for all its flaws, is the envy of
the world. Its doctors and nurses, researchers, scientists, and
caregivers are the most dedicated people I know. Every day, they give
their lives to heal and save others. They deserve a knowledgable leader
who is committed to evidence and excellence. They deserve a Secretary
committed to advancing cutting-edge medicine to save lives, not
rejecting the advances we have already made. They deserve a stable,
moral, and ethical person at the helm of this crucial agency. They
deserve better than Bobby Kennedy — and so do the rest of us. I urge the
Senate to reject this nomination.
Sincerely,
Caroline Kennedy
Today's confirmation hearing will reveal which Senators are truly interested in protecting the health and welfare of the American people, and which ones are only interested in extending their own careers by catering to the Malignant Fascist's whims. There's still time to call your Senators and tell them to keep this dangerous ghoul out of HHS (202-224-3121)!
(Image: Mario Tama / Getty Images; Nathan Congleton / TODAY)
